"You my idol" - Katie Boulter, Andy Murray's mother Judy and others hail Emma Raducanu as she leads Great Britain to Billie Jean King Cup Finals
Emma Raducanu has received heartwarming praise from the likes of Katie Boulter, Andy Murray's mother Judy, and Caroline Garcia for her exceptional performance in the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers.
Great Britain faced a tough challenge against France in the qualifiers of the prestigious team event. They made a rocky start to the blockbuster tie, as Diane Parry claimed a commanding 6-2, 6-0 win over Boulter.
However, Raducanu brought them back into the contest, beating Caroline Garcia 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 to level the scores at 1-1. Boulter, too, returned to winning ways, triumphing over Clara Burel 7-5, 6-0.
Subsequently, Emma Raducanu secured a hard-fought 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(1) win over Parry after a thrilling two-hour and 42-minute battle to seal victory for the Brits and secure their spot in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Seville, Spain.
The 21-year-old celebrated Britain's triumph on social media, expressing excitement for the team's qualification.
"WE DID IT🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧♥️♥️♥️to Seville we go," she captioned her Instagram post.
The Brit was showered with praise in the comments section, with compatriots Katie Boulter and Harriet Dart expressing their admiration for her performance.
"You my idol 🔥," Boutler commented.
"Yewwwwwww UNREAL from you 😍," Dart shared.
British tennis players Katie Swan and Jodie Burrage also shared their appreciation for her triumphant run.
"Amazing❤️❤️❤️," Swam posted.
"SHES A JOKE 🇬🇧🔥 wish I stayed 🥹," Burrage wrote.
Furthermore, Andy Murray's mother Judy applauded the 2021 US Open champion's crucial victory.
"🥂🎉🇬🇧👏," she posted on X (Formerly Twitter).
Despite France's loss, Caroline Garcia graciously congratulated the British contingent on their win, singling out Emma Raducanu for praise.
"While it was not the result we were looking for (congrats to team Great Britain @lta and specially to @emmaraducanu, it’s great to see you back playing at such a great level!)," Garcia wrote in her caption on Instagram.
"Katie Boulter and Emma Raducanu came to play and put in some fantastic performances" - Great Britain captain Anne Keothavong
Following their triumph, Great Britain's captain Anne Keothavong expressed delight as her team avenged last year's loss to France in the Billie Jean King qualifiers and advanced to the finals of the prestigious event.
She lavished praise on Katie Boulter and Emma Raducanu's impressive performances that contributed to the team's victory, conveying her admiration for their ability to prevail in the "difficult" tie.
"It’s going to take a lot of work to try and wipe this smile off my face. What a day, the atmosphere was just rocking, Katie and Emma came to play and put in some fantastic performances against tough opposition," she said.
"I’m just so chuffed for the team. We came here and we knew it was going to be difficult. But we came, we performed, and we’re all leaving with a big smile," she added.
Raducanu will be in action at the 2024 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart next, kicking off her campaign against Angelique Kerber in the first round.